A short time after this, the militia was raised, and he was, as his merit well entitled him to be, appointed Colonel of the West-York battalion; which situation he held, with advantage to the service, and honour to himself, for the remainder of his life.
Blind Jack being now at liberty to choose his occupation, attended Harrogate as usual; but having, in the course of his Scotch expedition, become acquainted with the various articles manufactured in that country, and judging that some of those might answer for him to traffic with in England, he repaired, in the spring, to Scotland, and supplied himself with various articles in the cotton and worsted way, particularly Aberdeen stockings. For all those articles he found a ready sale at the houses of gentlemen in the extensive County of York; and being personally known to most of the families, was ever very kindly received. He never was at a loss to know, amongst a thousand articles, what each had cost him, from a particular mode of marking.
It was also customary with him to buy horses, for sale in Scotland, bringing back galloways in return; and in this traffic he depended on feeling the animals, to direct his choice.
He also engaged pretty deeply in the contraband trade, the profits of which were at that time much more considerable than the risk.
One time in particular, having received a pressing letter from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, requiring his speedy attendance, he set out on horseback from Knaresborough at three in the morning, and got into Newcastle in the evening about six o’clock, the distance nearly seventy-four miles, and did not feel the least fatigued.
Having received some packages, he employed a few soldiers to convey them to a carrier, judging that men of their description were least liable to suspicion. After sending off his goods, he stayed two nights with some relations he had there, and then set off for home. He had with him about an hundred weight of tea, cased over with tow, and tightly corded up; this he put into a wallet, which he laid across his saddle.
Coming to Chester-le-Street, (about half-way between Newcastle and Durham) he met at the inn an exciseman, who knew him as soon as he had dismounted, and asked him what he had got there. Metcalf answered, “It is some tow and line for my aunt, who lives a few miles distant;—I wish she was far enough for giving me the trouble to fetch it.” The officer asking him to bring it in, he replied, “For the time I shall stay it may as well remain on the horsing-stone.” By this seeming indifference about his package, he removed suspicion from the mind of the exciseman, who assisted in re-placing it across the saddle; when he pursued his journey, and got home in safety.
Once having disposed of a string of horses, he bought, with the produce, a quantity of rum, brandy, and tea, to the amount of 200l., put them on board a vessel for Leith, and travelled over-land, on foot, to meet the vessel there. He had about thirty miles to walk, and carried near five stone weight of goods which he did not choose to put on shipboard. At Leith he had the mortification to wait six weeks, without receiving any tidings of the vessel, which many supposed to have been lost, there having been a storm in the interval. The distress of mind resulting from this, induced him once to say, “If she is lost, I wish I had been in her; for she had all my property on board.” Soon after, however, the ship got into Leith harbour. He there went on board, and set sail for Newcastle; but another storm arising, the mate was washed overboard, the mainsail carried away, and the ship driven near the coast of Norway. Despair now became general; the prospect of going to the bottom seeming almost certain. He now reflected on the impiety of his wish respecting the former storm; and so effectually was his way of thinking changed, that had he had all the current coin of the universe, he would have given it to have been on shore. It now appeared to him a dreadful thing to leave the world in the midst of health and vigour; but the wind changing, hope began to return, and the Captain put about for the Scotch coast, intending to make Arbrothie. A signal of distress was put up, but the sea ran so high, that no boat could venture out with a pilot. He then stood in for the harbour, but struck against the pier end, owing to the unmanageable state of the vessel, from the loss of her mainsail: she narrowly escaped being bulged; but having got to the back of the pier, was towed round into the harbour, with near five feet water in her hold. Her escape from the merciless elements, however, did not seem to terminate her dangers, the country people shewing a disposition to seize her as a wreck, and plunder her; but fortunately there was at hand a party, consisting of an officer and twenty men, of Pulteney’s regiment, who had been in pursuit of some smugglers; and Metcalf knowing them well, (Colonel Thornton’s company being attached to that regiment) the officer sent three files of men to protect the vessel, while the crew were removing the goods to a warehouse.
As this vessel stood in need of repairs, Metcalf put his goods on board another, and in her got to Newcastle. There he met with an acquaintance; and from the seeming cordiality at the meeting, he thought he might have trusted his life in the hands of this man. With this impression, Metcalf opened to him the state of his affairs; informing him that he had got four hundred gallons of gin and brandy, for which he had a permit, and about thirty gallons for which he had none, and which he wanted to land; telling him, at the same time, of the harrassing voyage he had just finished: But, it seems, his misfortunes were only about to commence; for, in a quarter of an hour, he found that the man whom he had taken for a friend had gone down to the quay side, and, giving information of what he knew, had all the goods seized, and brought on shore. Metcalf imagined that none were seizable but the small part for which he had not obtained a permit; but was soon undeceived, the whole being liable to seizure, as not agreeing with the specified quantity.
He then repaired to the Custom-House, and applied to Mr. Sunderland, the Collector. This gentleman knew Metcalf, (being in the habit of visiting Harrogate) and received him very kindly; but informed him, with much concern, that it was not in his power to serve him, the captors being the excise people, and not of his department.—He, however, suggested, that some good might result from an application to Alderman Peireth, with whom Metcalf was acquainted, and who was particularly intimate with the Collector of the Excise. The good Alderman gave him a letter to the Collector; representing, as instructed by Metcalf, that the bearer had bought four hundred gallons of spirits, at the Custom-House at Aberdeen; and that the extra quantity was for the purpose of treating the sailors and other friends, as well as for sea-stock for himself. At first the Collector told him that nothing could be done for him, until he should write up to the Board, and receive an answer; but Metcalf remonstrating on the inconvenience of the delay, and the other re-considering the letter, he agreed to come down to the quay at four o’clock in the afternoon, which he accordingly did, and released every thing without expence.